I have done the fix (hope so) on my mast step. What you have under the 8x20 block at sole level (really should be about half an inch above) is three cross members which span the rather deep bilge. They are made of two pieces of 3/4 ply glued or screwed together (each) and are curved to match the curvature of the inside of the hull.
They are probably waterlogged - the ones on my boat were covered with fiberglass, but the top and bottom weren't, so if your bilge is not empty at all times, they absorb water from the bottom and get soggy. What I did was remove the mast - I don't see how you could possibly get in there as the others have said without doing so. After letting them dry out for a few months (light bulb in the bilge area) I put some cardboard dams next to each side of each of the stringers and drilled a bunch of holes in each stringer and filled them with West System G-Flex up to the level of the dams. My stringers were not badly damaged, but if they are, then you will have a cut and grinding job to get them out and another task to make new ones and install them. When I had the stringers up to the level I wanted, I put a 1x2 piece of hardwood (I seem to remember it was teak) on top of each stringer (across the span), screwed them in (makes for a smooth place for the block to sit) and painted them with G-Flex. Then replace the 8x20 block (mine looks like ash) and the aluminum box which the mast sits in and you are in business. Then, do as I did and install a small bilge pump at the lowest point under the mast and keep that area as dry as possible - the stringer bottoms are about 3-4 inches above the lowest point, so that is not impossible. My boat is later than the one in the earlier posting and has a teak and holly sole, so cutting it out and grinding under it and replacing it would not be fun (it goes under the cabinets). Another option which was mentioned in the other posting is to fill the whole area with epoxy. If your stringers have not collapsed, you could just pour the epoxy in between without having to replace them. You have to leave a hole for access to the keel bolt and a longitudinal one for water from the bow to go to the low point, which is right under the mast. Good luck - it is a worthwhile winter project. Gary Nylander 30-1 #593 (1980) St. Michaels MD
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